Chapter 37: Chapter 37 - I Want This To Be Kept Secret

Chapter 37 – I Want This To Be Kept Secret

This was the first I heard of this debt. Did Maristella’s house owe something to Dorothea’s house?

A stupid expression crossed my face, but I quickly pulled myself together. Circumstances dictated that I was supposed to understand what Countess Cornohen just said.

“Ah, yes,” I answered vaguely.

Countess Cornohen spelled it out for me. “Each month, the Bellafleur family pays a large amount of interest to our family.”

“A large amount of…interest?”

“Oh. You did not know?” Her eyes turned as sharp as knives. “There’s no way you don’t. Your grandfather incurred a significant debt. One must repay a debt of course, and your family pays interest monthly.”

“…”

My grandfather had a debt…? To the Cornohen family? I was taken aback, as I was unaware of this whole backstory. Countess Cornohen wasn’t lying, was she? I was confused.

“In any case, I considered increasing the interest,” she continued.

“What?”

“Unless you are friends with Roth again.”

Wait, wait.

“If you become friends with her again, I’ll consider waiving the interest.”

“…”

To put it bluntly, she was buying friends with money. Good god. I couldn’t believe this way of thinking. It was no wonder Dorothea acted the way she did.

I sat numbly, unable to say a word.

“What do you say, Lady Maristella? Those are good terms, are they not?” Countess Cornohen said.

“I’m sorry, Countess. You must be mistaken… You want me to be friends with Dorothea again, but I don’t represent a trading group.”

“What does that mean?”

“In other words, Countess Cornohen, a friendship cannot be a business transaction. Otherwise, the relationship is not genuine—”

“I don’t understand,” the Countess interrupted, and she shook her head bewilderingly. “So, are you going to be Roth’s friend or not?”

I didn’t speak.

“Think carefully. This is an excellent opportunity,” she urged.

“…”

“With the monthly interest collected from the Bellafleur family, you can buy a castle in the countryside in just ten years. Your family has been paying a large amount of interest since your grandfather’s time. The principal payment is being paid off at the speed at which a turtle crawls.”

I didn’t know it was that significant. I didn’t see any effect on my life at all.

“Of course, if you live more frugally, you may be able to pay it off sooner. But you understand, don’t you? It takes a large amount of money to protect the pride and dignity of a noble.”

“…”

That was a true statement, but it was a principle distant from someone who lived as an average citizen for over two decades. That didn’t mean I didn’t understand the concept, however. Nobles had their honor and prestige to maintain. They needed money to pay their servants, they needed money to manage their property, and they needed money to buy dresses and suits to wear to parties. It was all about money.

Countess Cornohen looked at me with gleaming eyes. “I’ll do away with the interest starting next month. What do you think about my offer? Isn’t it tempting?” She continued. “Consider the relationship between our families, Lady Bellafleur. They have been close since the era of your grandfather. Are you sure you want to cut such historical ties?”

I paused as I considered her words. “…Does your husband know what you’re proposing?”

“Of course. I am my husband’s agent.” There was a note of pride in Countess Cornohen’s voice. I didn’t know if it was a pride that naturally came when a person had wealth, or a pride when one had the ability to wield power over someone.

“Do my parents know?” I asked.

“No, they don’t,” she replied. With a large smile, she added, “Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t?”

If I accepted this offer, then they certainly would. A troubled expression crossed my face before I spoke again. “…You would do this so I would be your daughter’s friend again?”

“What I want from you is nothing special,” she said in an unconcerned voice. “I just need someone in an ‘equal position’ to stand by my daughter. Someone to listen to her worries, and someone to enthusiastically agree with her if she criticizes someone. That kind of person.”

“…”

Basically, Dorothea needed a maid. Countess Cornohen didn’t want a true friend for her daughter. She just wanted a secretary to be subservient to her.

“Why are you doing this, Countess?” I asked in frank curiosity.

“Because my Roth wants it. She needs someone by her side to make her shine,” she said.

“Do you think that’s good for Dorothea, My Lady? Would Dorothea really like that?” I questioned.

Countess Cornohen appeared confident. “Yes, Lady Maristella. I believe so.”

“Is that just a delusion of yours, Countess?”

“Young lady,” Countess Cornohen said harshly. “This is nothing more than idle chit-chat. I am a very busy person.”

“…”

“Will you accept my proposal or not?”

“…To put it bluntly, you need a stooge to stand by your daughter’s side. Isn’t that right?”

“That expression is offensive, Lady Maristella.”

“No, Countess. I’d rather say it,” I said with a shake of my head. “Very well, Countess Cornohen. I will be your daughter’s stooge.”

“…”

“Please keep your promise. For this month, make sure that not a single penny of interest is paid to the Cornohen family. If you do that, then I will be your daughter’s stooge as you wish. But that is all.”

I wouldn’t go so far as to be her friend.

“Do you find that satisfactory?” I concluded calmly.

“Yes,” Countess Cornohen said with a light smile. “That is agreeable. You are wise, as expected.”

“…I want this to be kept secret from my parents,” I requested.

If Count Bellafleur found out about this, he would surely question me, then insist he didn’t want any harm to come to me. I didn’t want that. I already felt sorry for them for taking over Maristella’s body, and I wanted to be as of much help to this house as possible.

Of course, me becoming Dorothea’s stooge again wasn’t ideal. Every effort I made to break away from her since entering this novel would go down the drain. It was a tragic irony that I tried so hard not to be Dorothea’s supporting character, only for me to abruptly shift gears. However, Countess Cornohen’s proposal was too great for me to be stubborn about my pride and, if anything, I wanted to lessen this house’s burden.

“Of course,” Countess Cornohen said. “I have the sense to keep it quiet.” She gave me a reassuring smile. “Why don’t we go to the living room? Roth and Countess Bellafleur will be waiting for us to come out.”

***

“Marie!”

As soon as I stepped into the living room with Countess Cornohen, Dorothea called out to me in greeting. As I considered how I should respond to her, I remembered Countess Cornohen standing next to me and plastered a fake smile on my face.

“Roth.”

It wasn’t difficult to be a stooge. I’d think of it like a business. A part-time job. It was an offense to call this relationship a friendship.

“How do you like the tea?” I asked.

“Is it from the Crown Prince? It tastes delicious,” Dorothea said with a pink flush on her cheeks.

Honestly, the tea was disgusting. It wouldn’t be praised so much if it didn’t come from the Crown Prince.

“I’m glad it suits your taste.” I turned to the Countess. “Would you like a cup too?”

At my question, she looked towards Countess Bellafleur. “May I have a drink, Countess?”

“Of course,” Countess Bellafleur replied gladly, and she summoned a maid to bring in two more cups of tea. I watched this exchange, then moved towards the couch. I sat next to Countess Bellafleur, then looked across to Dorothea.

“Are you really here on a sick visit?” I asked.

“Of course,” Dorothea replied, “I’m happy to hear that you’re better.”

“…”

I paused, unsure of the sincerity of her words, then turned towards her mother. “But I didn’t expect Countess Cornohen to come.”

“Then what would our relationship be?” Countess Cornohen remarked.

Well, one that bought and sold relationships with money.

“Anyway, I have something else to say.” Countess Cornohen sat down next to her daughter and continued speaking. “The trip I mentioned before. I came here to talk about it.”

“Oh, didn’t you say you were busy? I thought we could only go in the middle of winter…” Countess Bellafleur wondered.

“Of course I’m busy,” said Countess Cornohen haughtily. Mother and daughter were truly a pair. “But my relationship with the Bellafleur family is precious. Isn’t that how it usually is?”

“…”

How nauseating